A-Leagues & Football Australia General Chat and News Thread

[nobbyiscool]

That's so bizarre that FFA apologised to City - I hadn't seen that. Has the red card been rescinded?

To be honest, I don't really see much parallel between Bouzanis and Cahill. What Bouzanis said was disgusting and offensive, despite what people on social media who feel entitled to comment despite having no knowledge of the Balkan region or what the term means in that context might say.

What Cahill said was inappropriate, especially when he was on the bench and entered the field of play to say it. But I dunno... I guess, despite how much I've come to loathe Cahill this season, I can see a distinction between saying Beath is a "disgrace" and saying something like the ref is a "cheat". Maybe it's more grey than I'm giving it credit for, but in the cold light of day, and removed from the emotion of the derby, I think it's fair to say that Cahill was commenting on Beath's performance, not his character (which he would've been if he called him a cheat.)

 

[giggler99]

That's so bizarre that FFA apologised to City - I hadn't seen that. Has the red card been rescinded?

To be honest, I don't really see much parallel between Bouzanis and Cahill. What Bouzanis said was disgusting and offensive, despite what people on social media who feel entitled to comment despite having no knowledge of the Balkan region or what the term means in that context might say.

What Cahill said was inappropriate, especially when he was on the bench and entered the field of play to say it. But I dunno... I guess, despite how much I've come to loathe Cahill this season, I can see a distinction between saying Beath is a "disgrace" and saying something like the ref is a "cheat". Maybe it's more grey than I'm giving it credit for, but in the cold light of day, and removed from the emotion of the derby, I think it's fair to say that Cahill was commenting on Beath's performance, not his character (which he would've been if he called him a cheat.)

It was in the little paper Yesturday and it was mentioned on Leaches show on SEN this afternoon too, The FFA couldn't rescind the card apparently because there was no avenue to appeal.

 

[nobbyiscool]

It was in the little paper Yesturday and it was mentioned on Leaches show on SEN this afternoon too, The FFA couldn't rescind the card apparently because there was no avenue to appeal.

That "obvious error" rule that got Berisha off a few weeks ago is bizarre...

 

[giggler99]

Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro blasts FFA bosses


Michael Lynch
Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro has fired a broadside at the Football Federation Australia leadership and demanded on behalf of all A-League clubs that they be given a greater share of the game's revenue.Di Pietro, speaking at a Victory business lunch at Crown on Friday afternoon attended by FFA chief David Gallop and a number of other A-League club chairmen, pulled no punches when he set out just how angry and frustrated the clubs now were over a range of issues.


Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro. Photo: SuppliedThese included:
*Financial dividends from the new $350 million television rights deal;
*The vexed question of expansion to grow the sport, which has been stalled for several years;
*The governance of the game, with Di Pietro claiming A-League clubs were no longer going to settle for a muted voice in the way the sport is administered and run;
*The marketing of soccer, which he argued had fallen behind and needed to be stepped up if the game was to build on the levels of fan and community engagement it had built in the years since the A-League's inception in 2005.

Numerous clubs have gone bust, out of business or been forced into administration with owners collectively losing hundreds of millions of dollars since the A-League kicked off and Di Pietro, on behalf of his fellow chairmen in the audience – which included Melbourne City's Simon Pearce and Adelaide's Greg Griffin – stressed that clubs needed proper compensation for their initial investment and to recoup losses.

"The time for change is now upon us, " Di Pietro said. "Decisions made now will affect the future of football in Australia for years to come."Melbourne Victory supports expansion [of the A-League]. More teams will bring more competition and more broadcast games and more revenue to grow the game. Derbies are a proven winning way to pack stadiums [and generate media and fan interest]."

His remarks on derbies may well be significant given that Victory already enjoys a healthy rivalry with Melbourne City. There are several Victorian consortia – South Melbourne, the old NSL powerhouse, the Geelong-based Victoria Patriots and the South East Melbourne/Dandenong/Casey group all circling and looking to establish their case for a third Victorian-based licence.There is also talk of potential bids in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane which, if successful, could create fresh rivalries and add to the A-League's tally of derbies in the future.

But, Di Pietro added: "We must make sure that any new licences do not compromise the marketability or integrity of the competition" – a clear reference to the fact that the league, in this phase of its development, cannot afford any fiscal failures or clubs going broke, as has happened in the past.

Urging Steven Lowy, the FFA chairman (who was not present) to grasp the nettle of constitutional reform, Di Pietro said: "No business is the same today as it was in 2005."A-League clubs are represented collectively by only one vote. The A-League earns the lion's share of the revenue but almost has the least say."Club owners have to meet significant financial commitments to keep the show on the road, Di Pietro said, and they were asking that "revenues generated by the A-League should be retained and invested to grow the A-League ... the marketing investment in this game needs to deepen. We need to bring everyone in."

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/socc...pietro-blasts-ffa-bosses-20170210-gua2u5.html

Very thorough by Di-Pietro, sums up the A-league past present and hopefully future.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I'm so torn on this issue. On one hand, club owners have contributed much more than their fair share to the establishment of the A-League. On the other hand though, (despite not having kids of my own) I've consistently said here and elsewhere that the game being funded from the bottom up with outrageous levies on juniors and grass roots level is a bigger disgrace than anything else that happens in Australian football. That includes
- the lack of women's promotion
- the shitty junior development which is being reflected in international tournaments
- the lack of transparency by the FFA
- the lack of input to the FFA board and decision-making that those funding it at grass roots have
- and the shitty job they have done now in 2 consecutive TV rights negotiations, including the retention of people like Gallop whose biggest deliverable was to get $80m a year, which he demonstratively failed to do.

I guess though... there's no suggestion that the FFA's current funding proposal is going to improve the situation for juniors and for grass roots players. There is still no suggestion that these levies will be removed in the near future, so I guess I'm left thinking that maybe the clubs should get more. Especially if the FFA is going to continue expecting the clubs to do the lions share of A-League and W-League promotion and elite junior development.

I've still got the shits after watching that excellent Canberra United v Melbourne City semi-final last week. It was an fantastic, engrossing game, and hardly anyone even knew it was on. That Olympic quarter-final between Brazil and the Matildas was one of Channel 7's highest rating events during the Olympics - from memory I think it was the 3rd or 4th highest rated event - and the FFA did less than * all to capitalise on it in the lead up or during this seasons W-League. And then after last week, the AFLW made it clear to anyone who was paying attention that the FFA were absolute derelict in their duty by not seizing the momentum that was starting to build for women's sport.

 

[HellasOle]

I laughed at DangerIsLove's post about Frank Lowy
I fell off my chair it was that funny
Love to see his conspiracy about the Bouzanis-Berisha incident

 

[BlueBen]

Not sure where else to put this, but it would be nice if the teams' shirts and shorts were not nearly entirely covered by sponsors/apparel manufacturers.

Everything looks so cluttered and unclean. Even something like moving the A-League logo to the sleeve would improve the appearance of the shirt.

I know it's a minor point in the scheme of things and that none of this is anything new; I just wonder whether we really need just about every square inch of the playing kit to be an advertisement for something.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Well they have been trying to kill players by making them play in 40+ conditions so an introduction of long sleeve shirts might just do the trick.

Agree that it does look a little cluttered though.

 

[Jatz]

Not A League specific but was looking at playing football this winter for the first time in about 10 years.

Found out the rego costs are $330. I know insurance is built into that but FMD, that's way too much. Throw in the boots/shin pads etc an I'm looking at $500 or so just to play this season. That's just way too ******* much!

Can only imagine how expensive it is for families with 3 boys etc (i know the costs are lower for children but still).

 

[FAITH]

Not A League specific but was looking at playing football this winter for the first time in about 10 years.

Found out the rego costs are $330. I know insurance is built into that but FMD, that's way too much. Throw in the boots/shin pads etc an I'm looking at $500 or so just to play this season. That's just way too ******* much!

Can only imagine how expensive it is for families with 3 boys etc (i know the costs are lower for children but still).

mate if you have kids its $1250 per kid

 

[Jatz]

mate if you have kids its $1250 per kid

How?

 

[FAITH]

How?

how what? clubs can charge whatever they want, there is more demand than supply of positions available.

 

[Jatz]

how what? clubs can charge whatever they want, there is more demand than supply of positions available.

That's certainly not true, especially in Western Sydney.

 

[FAITH]

That's certainly not true, especially in Western Sydney.

well in SA thats what we got.
$1250 per kid and theres still demand>supply.
they could probably charge $2000 per kid and get away with it

 

[Jatz]

well in SA thats what we got.
$1250 per kid and theres still demand>supply.
they could probably charge $2000 per kid and get away with it

That's incredible. They system is absolutely broken if that's what it costs to play the sport.

 

[FAITH]

That's incredible. They system is absolutely broken if that's what it costs to play the sport.

parents have been spewing for years, but nothing changes.
cant really say there arent enough clubs, its more training grounds arent big enough and the demand is crazy.

 

[hey shorty]

Its horrendous isn't it ? Playing Aussie Rules for 10 years, my junior fees in total wouldn't have been much more than $1250

 

[Jatz]

Its horrendous isn't it ? Playing Aussie Rules for 10 years, my junior fees in total wouldn't have been much more than $1250

I can register for cricket each summer for half the cost of football and the games go 3 or 4 times as long haha.

It really does boggle my mind that they seemingly get away with charging those prices.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Yep, it's definitely something that needs reviewing. The FFA like to trumpet their participation numbers but they really need to do something about the grassroots levels. Imagine if it was more affordable, those already impressive figures would potentially be even greater.

 

[bok_party]

The registration isn't even that costly, it's the clubs trying to make a buck that makes it ridiculous.

Our club was charging $380 and all we'd get was a polo and socks whilst many other clubs I know were asking for $320 and you'd get a bag, polo, socks, training shirt and free feeds after training.

 

[FAITH]

I can register for cricket each summer for half the cost of football and the games go 3 or 4 times as long haha.

It really does boggle my mind that they seemingly get away with charging those prices.

purposely done imo to turn kids away, which is sad.
just too many kids wanting to play and not enough grounds in SA anyway

 

[craigos]

After the media the womens AFL has received I wonder if the people in charge at FFA are feeling a little stupid. Here's a sport that plenty of girls play already and have done for a long time, a sport that is international, is of a rather high standard already yet they do pretty much zero marketing on the W League and never really have.

 

[FAITH]

FFA are Incompetent nowadays.

 

[giggler99]

Football Federation Australia delay A-League expansion and W-League reform

In a blow to expansion hopefuls, there is little prospect of FFA circulating the criteria for admission to the league by the end of February as promised.

And the whole season has passed without any movement from a much-publicised W-League “working party” formed last year.

Instead, FFA is focused on placating clubs and players with changes to their decision-making structures as demanded by Fifa.

FFA senior management will begin a round of consultation with club owners this week ahead of a 31 March deadline to reform their board.

It is understood clubs will table demands for increased revenue from the new broadcast deal and ask for more voices around FFA’s top table when they meet with FFA on Tuesday.

Professional Footballers Australia are also seeking to be included around the table, with the players’ union to meet with FFA later in the week.

There’s a sense of distrust of FFA from clubs after the governing body organised a secretive trip to Zurich to speak with Fifa executives earlier this month.

Central to the A-League clubs’ argument for increased representation is their role as the leading revenue-generators for the sport.

Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro called for all A-League revenue to remain within the competition in an incendiary speech last week.

There’s genuine fears some owners could walk away altogether if FFA don’t agree to more than double their annual distribution to clubs to $6m, a figure the governing body is highly unlikely to match, as it would leave little money for FFA to fund other key areas of the game.

Meanwhile, the route to A-League expansion – a cause for which Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou is a key torchbearer – has been muddied by the governance reforms.

An FFA source said expansion candidates should not expect criteria to be announced “within days or weeks”, giving rise to the prospect that it won’t appear until the end of the A-League season in May.

Those looking for progress on W-League reforms have also been angered by the lack of progress from FFA.

While it is understood the working party – including W-League chiefs, clubs and PFA – has met at least once, there have been no agreed outcomes on how to improve the domestic women’s competition.

FFA appears to be open-minded after a positive meeting with state federation bosses on Monday, and will discuss “new operating and ownership models” for the A-League and W-League with club owners.

“We need to attract more capital and expertise to our clubs and game. FFA believes part of the answer lies in the way the leagues are structured,” FFA chairman Steven Lowy said.

“We will begin this conversation with the club chairmen [on Tuesday]. This will be an important consideration as FFA moves ahead with plans to expand the number of A-League clubs.”
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...xpansion-and-w-league-reform?CMP=share_btn_tw

As suspected the FFA never had any plans to begin with this is all just excuses, one shouldn't be hindering the other if they actually had plans in place. The sooner the A-league becomes independent of these morons the better.

 

[darko]

how what? clubs can charge whatever they want, there is more demand than supply of positions available.

If i remember correctly South Melbourne charge $2500 per season per child.